 |
| Dingo pup Wandi romps at the Australian Dingo Foundation headquarters near Melbourne (AFP Photo/Shari TRIMBLE) |
Sydney (AFP) - He's furry, playful, and has puppy eyes. It's little wonder Wandi was mistaken for a dog when he was found in an Australian backyard -- but DNA testing has confirmed he's a rare 100 percent dingo.
The pup was
discovered whimpering and alone in a country town in Victoria in August with
talon marks on his back, leading to speculation it could have been dropped by a
large bird of prey.
Rescuers at
first thought Wandi was either a dog or a fox, but months later DNA samples
have revealed that he is in fact a purebred dingo.
Most of the
creatures seen in the wild are usually, to some degree, dingo-dog hybrids.
 |
Wandi was
found whimpering in a rural back yard with talon marks on his back,
leading to
speculation he may have been dropped by a bird of prey (AFP Photo/
Shari
TRIMBLE)
|
Australian
Dingo Foundation director Lyn Watson said that when Wandi "fell out of the
sky" it was an "answer to a prayer" -- he can now join 40 other
dingoes in a breeding program at the charity's sanctuary.
"When
we sent his DNA off we were hoping that he would be of high content, but we
were pleasantly surprised to find he was as much dingo as you could get,"
she told AFP.
Watson
hopes Wandi -- whose unusual origins story and endearing looks have attracted
global attention -- will help recast the narrative surrounding dingoes and
change government policies toward the much-maligned animal.
There is
currently much debate in the scientific community over the classification of
dingoes, believed to have come to Australia from Asia about 4,000 years ago.
 |
An
Australian Dingo Foundation handler shows of Wandi, a
rare 100 percent purebred
dingo (AFP Photo/Shari TRIMBLE)
|
While some
consider the dingo to be a wild dog, many researchers now believe it is a
separate species with a range of characteristics that differentiate it from
domestic and feral canines.
Often
thought of as a threat to domestic animals and livestock, some also argue the
apex predator is helpful in controlling pests such feral cats and foxes, as
well as numbers of native herbivores such as kangaroos.
This
uncertainty has major consequences for the conservation of dingoes.
The species
is protected in areas where it is considered a threatened species vulnerable to
extinction, but elsewhere listed as a pest that can be controlled through
measures such as shooting and baiting.
 |
The
discovery after DNA testing that Wandi is 100 percent purebred dingo has
given
experts new hope for the maligned species. Most dingoes in the wild are
dingo-dog hybrids (AFP Photo/Shari TRIMBLE)
|
Though
rare, there have also been a number of recorded attacks on humans -- mostly at
the popular tourist destination of Fraser Island.
Wandi, who
was named after the town of Wandiligong where he was rescued, is now settling
in to his new home at the Dingo Discovery Sanctuary near Melbourne.
"He’s
very bright and he seems to be very friendly with all of our volunteers -- of
course they all dote on him," Watson said.
But with
legal restrictions on releasing dingoes into the wild, the pup may have to live
out his days in captivity -- though Watson is optimistic that attitudes will
eventually shift to allow him to roam free.
"We
know the day will come when we come to our senses and fully understand the
situation in the wild and that there should be dingoes there," she said.
No comments:
Post a Comment